A massive experimental balloon gently flew from the Indira Gandhi Stadium in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. It was part of India's private space sector's leap into the space domain, as a startup demonstrated how special high altitude balloons can transform communications, surveillance and scientific research. Red Balloon Aerospace, a Hyderabad-based company founded in 2025, has successfully launched what it calls India's first indigenous private super-pressure balloon carrying commercial payloads. The mission, named SANA, marks a significant milestone not just for the company but for India's growing ambition in the emerging near-space economy. The company's VISTA platform rose to about 25 kilometres above Earth, a region far above commercial aircraft but well below satellites. This Stratospheric Zone, between roughly 20 and 50 kilometres, has long remained underutilised globally despite offering unique advantages of persistent observation and lower costs. India i...
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has uncovered how the main suspect in the Red Fort car blast obtained materials for explosives by using a false identity and established a small-scale laboratory in his home. The anti-terror agency has found that Dr Umar Un Nabi, who was driving the explosives-laden car and died in the blast, bought chemicals and specialist equipment using a fake name. The high-intensity vehicle-borne IED blast that rocked the national capital on November 10 last year left at least 11 people dead and injured several others. Umar un Nabi gathered information on bomb-making from both online and offline sources and set up a makeshift laboratory in his flat in Haryana's Faridabad near Al Falah University. According to the NIA, Umar had researched various chemicals and methods for making explosives over an extended period. He carried out experiments in the flat with the aim of producing a prototype explosive material. A delivery challan dated Septembe...